The story behind the audio of Wilt's 100

Posted on: March 1, 2012 6:30 pm

Edited on: March 2, 2012 12:11 pm

Of all the improbable circumstances that collided on the night 50 years ago when Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points, perhaps none was more devastating than the realization that hit play-by-play man Bill Campbell after the game.

As Campbell was driving home from Hershey, Pa., to his home in Broomall, Pa., after using his velvety voice to document the feat for humanity, he realized what a terrible mistake he’d made.

“It suddenly hit me halfway home, maybe one in the morning,” Campbell said on the phone this week. “One hundred points and I didn’t even tape the game.”

“I called this guy back, and he told me, ‘I’m sure as a representative of a fine professional organization, you obviously have a very skillfully produced recording of this event,’” Campbell said. “I didn’t say we didn’t. He said he had recorded the fourth quarter, had done it at home on his little ham-and-egg set. And he said, ‘Would you mind if I sent it to you as a memento of the occasion.’ And I thought, ‘Would I mind? This may get me off the hook!’”

The recording of the fourth quarter of Chamberlain’s 100-point performance for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962 was made by a college student named Jim Trelease, who bootlegged the recording in his University of Massachusetts dorm room. If not for that – Campbell calmly calling, “He made it! He made it! A dipper dunk! He made it!” after the basket that got Wilt to 100 -- the accomplishment would be even more mythical than it already is. There were no TV cameras in Hershey that night, and thus no video of the historic event

Campbell, who is planning to attend the Philadelphia 76ers’ game against the Golden State Warriors Friday night in Philly to commemorate the 50th anniversary, said he later heard from Chamberlain himself about that recording.

“When Wilt was named to the Hall of Fame, he called in from Los Angeles and he said, ‘Do you have any of the 100-point game?’” Campbell said. “He said, ‘Send it to the Hall of Fame.’ And we sent it to the Hall of Fame, and they were delighted to have it.”

The story behind the audio of Wilt's 100

"Speaking of landmarks and getting lucky, I wonder if there is audio of Wilt's '10,000.' Now THAT would be Hall of Fame material."

Teres Minor- you are an extremely funny and witty guy!

Since: Jun 5, 2011

Posted on: March 1, 2012 7:52 pm

The story behind the audio of Wilt's 100

This is all really cute. In an era where every game is on the radio and almst all are on TV, and everyone saves everthing on massive hard drives, it is amazing that they had to get "lucky" to have a recording of at least the end of Wilt's landmark game. This is a game that really deserved to be on videotape so that people who fawned over Michael Jordan as the "greatest player EVER" could begin to understand just how dominant Wilt was when he wanted to be.

Speaking of landmarks and getting lucky, I wonder if there is audio of Wilt's "10,000." Now, THAT would be Hall of Fame material.

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